"The club has not given us a visa to leave the country. I was promised a really attractive salary when I signed with Al Nassr, and since I arrived I've have trained hard and I played with maximum energy. However, I’ve not seen a dime. It's been four months now.

"I've spoken with the management of the club, and initially I was told that I would be paid the following week. Since then I've written letters in vain. So I decided to give the club an ultimatum: Either you pay me or I go. They still have not paid me.

"They have broken my contract with the club, so I've asked for a new visa to go home because the old one had expired."

Bastos said he had asked the Brazilian embassy for help, but had not received a reply.

And he added: "I'm asking for help from the press, from fans, from anyone. I want people to know what is happening to me so that this doesn't happen again in the future. I'm a hostage to my club. It's really incredible."

He has also used Twitter to upload copies of letters he has sent to club officials.